Achillea plant named ‘Strawberry Seduction’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Achillea millefolium,  ‘Strawberry Seduction’, characterized by it long blooming habit, its vigorous growth habit, its dense dark green foliage held on sturdy stems, and its red flowers that are consistent in color and resistant to fading.

Botanical classification: Achillea millefolium.

Variety denomination: ‘Strawberry Seduction’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Achilleaplant, botanically known as Achillea millefolium ‘Strawberry Seduction’and will be referred to hereinafter by its cultivar name, ‘StrawberrySeduction’. The new cultivar of Achillea is an herbaceous perennialgrown for landscape use.

‘Strawberry Seduction’ was derived from a breeding program that focusedon obtaining Achillea cultivars with a long blooming habit and flowercolors that are resistant to fading. ‘Strawberry Seduction’ was selectedin the summer of 2001 as a whole plant mutation that arose from repeatedselections from seed originally sown of the seed strain Achillea ‘SummerPastels’ (not patented) in Boskoop, The Netherlands.

‘Strawberry Seduction’ was selected primarily for its sturdy stems, itsuniform red flowers and its thick dark green foliage. ‘Summer Pastels’,the parent strain, produces plants with variable plant habits andflowers with variable colors and color-fastness. ‘Strawberry Seduction’differs from its closest comparison cultivar, Achillea millefolium‘Paprika’ (not patented), in having sturdier stems, better branching,and shorter stem internodes.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by basalcuttings in under the direction of the inventor in Lancaster, Pa. inSeptember of 2002. The characteristics of this cultivar have beendetermined to be stable and are reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the characteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes incombination distinguish ‘Strawberry Seduction’ as unique from all othervarieties of Achillea known to the inventor.

-   -   1. ‘Strawberry Seduction’ is long blooming, blooming for about        five weeks, typically from late July through August in        Lancaster, Pa.    -   2. ‘Strawberry Seduction’ has red flowers that exhibit minimum        fading as they age.    -   3. ‘Strawberry Seduction’ is densely foliaged with thick dark        green foliage that is held on sturdy stems.    -   4. ‘Strawberry Seduction’ has a vigorous growth habit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Achillea.

The photographs shown in FIG. 1. and FIG. 2 were taken of two year-oldplants as field grown in Lancaster, Pa. FIG. 1 shows the plant habit inbloom while FIG. 2 is a close-up view of the flowers.

The photograph shown in FIG. 3 was taken in Lancaster, Pa. and depicts asix month-old plant as grown in the greenhouse in a 6-inch container.

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with thephotographic and printing technology utilized. The color values cited inthe detailed botanical description accurately describe the colors of thenew Achillea.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new cultivar as grownoutdoors in for 12 weeks from a liner. The descriptions are based onobservations over a period of two years in Lancaster, Pa. The phenotypeof the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic,and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance withthe 2001 R.H.S. Colour Chart of the Royal Horticultural Society, London,England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: ‘Strawberry Seduction’ is a cultivar of    Achillea millefolium.-   Parentage: Selection from Achillea millefolium ‘summer Pastels’    (seed strain).-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—Blooms for about 5 weeks, typically from            late July through August in Lancaster, Pa.        -   Plant habit.—Herbaceous perennial, upright, mounded habit,            strong flowering stems emerge from a basal rosette of            foliage.        -   Height and spread.—Matures to about 46 to 51 cm in height            and about 81 cm in width.        -   Hardiness.—U.S.D.A. Zones 4 to 8.        -   Culture.—Tolerant to a wide range of growing conditions,            growing best in full sum to in well-drained, moderately            fertile soils.        -   Diseases and pests.—No susceptibility or resistance to            diseases or pests common to Achillea millefolium has been            observed for ‘Strawberry Seduction’.        -   Root description.—fibrous.-   Growth and propagation:    -   -   Propagation.—Basal stem cuttings.        -   Root initiation.—Basal stem cuttings 8 cm in length dipped            in 1000 ppm IBA and placed under mist root in about 10 days            in a greenhouse kept at about 70° F. without supplemental            lighting in spring and summer.        -   Time required for root development.—Rooted cuttings fully            develop a 72-cell in about 4 weeks at 70° F. under mist,            cells fully develop and flower in a six inch container in            about 12 to 14 weeks when grown outdoors under natural            lighting or when grown in a greenhouse at 68° F. without            supplemental lighting and a constant liquid feed of 150 ppm            N.        -   Vernalization.—Not required, vernalized plant flower about 2            weeks sooner but unvernalized plants had better branching            with more flowers.        -   Crop maintenance.—Plants can be cut back after the initial            flush of flowers and rebloom occurs in about 4 weeks.        -   Growth rate.—Vigorous.-   Stem description:    -   -   Shape.—Round, solid, sturdy.        -   Stem color.—144B with some blushing of N79B, particularly            towards base.        -   Stem size.—Up to 5 mm in diameter, main branches up to 50 cm            in length, secondary branches are 10 to 18 cm in length and            2 to 3 mm in diameter.        -   Stem surface.—Glabrous with non-conspicuous fine white hairs            and vertical ridges.        -   Branching habit.—Main branches emerge from tuft of basal            foliage, typically about 4 to 6 secondary branches emerge            from nodes near apex.        -   Internode length.—Average 2 cm.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf division.—Simple, deeply dissected (fern-like).        -   Leaf shape.—Oblanceolate, leaf segments are ovate in            outline.        -   Leaf base.—Blunt.        -   Leaf apex.—Acute.        -   Leaf margin.—Finely dissected.        -   Leaf venation.—Only midrib is visible, 144D in color.        -   Leaf attachment.—Sessile, clasping.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Basal foliage in rosettes, opposite on            flowering stems.        -   Leaf surface.—glabrous, upper and lower surfaces.        -   Leaf color.—Newly emerged basal foliage; upper and lower            surfaces 137C, mature and emerging flowering stem foliage;            upper and lower surfaces 137A.        -   Leaf size.—Basal leaves; up to 26 cm in length and 5 cm in            width with leaf segments up to 3 cm in length and 2 cm in            width, leaves on flowering stems; up to 14 cm (average 10            cm), about 3.5 cm in width with leaf segments about 2 cm in            length and 1 cm in width.        -   Foliage fragrance.—Mint-like when crushed.-   Flower description:-   General description:    -   -   Type.—Compound corymb composed of numerous, capitulate,            heterogamous flowers with ray florets around the head margin            and disk florets in the center, forming a radiant head.        -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—About one week until            senescence of ray flowers. Bracts and disk flowers are            persistent.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About 70 flowers on terminal            corymb with about 20 to 30 florets on side corymbs, about            300 flowers per flowering stem.        -   Corymb size.—About 6 cm in diameter and 4 cm in depth for            terminal corymbs, average of 3.5 cm in diameter and 2 cm in            height for side corymbs.        -   Flower size.—About 9 mm in diameter and 6 mm in depth.        -   Flower buds.—About 5 mm in height and 2 mm in diameter,            oblong in shape, color 138C with colored apex emerging 8B.        -   Peduncle.—About 0.5 to 1 cm in length and 1.5 mm in            diameter, 138B in color, texture is glabrous.        -   Pedicel.—About 4 to 6 mm in length and 1 mm in diameter,            138B in color, texture is glabrous.        -   Receptacle.—Not distinct, small, chaffy, 138C in color.        -   Involucral bracts.—Composed of a series of overlapping            bracts, collectively 138D to 138C in color and form a cup            (calyx-like) about 3 cm in width and 5 cm in height,            individual bracts; about 4 mm in length, 1 mm in width,            membranous edges, oblong in shape, acute apex, blunt base.-   Ray Florets (pistillate):    -   -   Number.—5.        -   Shape.—Petal blade is orbicular on narrow tube enclosing            pistil.        -   Aspect.—Held flat.        -   Size.—5 mm in length and 3 mm width, showy, blade is 4 mm in            length and width, tube portion is 4 mm in length and 0.5 mm            in width.        -   Petal apex.—Rounded to blunt with 2 notches (tulip-like).        -   Petal base.—Rounded.        -   Petal margins.—Entire, 2 notches on apex.        -   Petal texture.—Glabrous.        -   Color.—Upper and lower surfaces of petal; tubes portion is            138C throughout development and not visible, showy blade            portion emerges yellow 8B with red-purple margins 71A,            matures to solid red-purple 71A, fades to solid red-purple            71B.-   Disk flowers (bisexual):    -   -   Quantity.—About 15, densely packed in center of            inflorescence.        -   Shape.—Tubular, corolla is fused, flared at apex.        -   Size.—About 5 mm in length and up to 1 mm in width (flare).        -   Color.—Base (tube) is 138D in color, flared portion is            translucent with on apex 1B.-   Reproductive organs.—    -   -   Presence.—Disk flowers are perfect, ray flowers are            pistillate.        -   Gynoecium.—1 Pistil, bifid stigma, translucent and 1B in            color, extends just beyond the flare of disk flowers and            emerges at the junction of the tube and showy portion of the            petal of the ray flowers. Ovary is 1.5 mm in length, 0.7 mm            in width, placement is inferior, translucent in color.        -   Androcoecium.—5 stamens, fused into tube surrounding style,            anthers are 1 mm in length and about 0.3 mm in width,            translucent, pollen is moderate in abundance and N199B in            color.        -   Fruit and seed.—Fruit and seed set has not observed under            the conditions tested.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Achillea plant named ‘Strawberry Seduction’ as herein illustrated and described. 